Spiraling to Success

With just a little over 10 years in the business, PLASTIKOIL of Pennsylvania is a relative newcomer to the graphic arts field. Nevertheless, this family-owned and -operated venture has already positioned itself as one of the most respected full-service binding and finishing operations in western Pennsylvania.

Don Barkley, who had been a home builder prior to founding PLASTIKOIL of Pennsylvania, explains that its success hinges on several components—not the least of which has been continuous investment in the latest bindery shop equipment. The most recent investment was a Euro-Bind Perfect Binder 4M/P from Vijuk Equipment, the exclusive North American distributor.

The company’s story begins back in 1985 when Don Barkley and his wife, Marian, decided to get out of construction and explore other more promising business opportunities. One of those opportunities was with Gateway Bookbinding, of Winnipeg, Canada, which sought to establish a dealership in the region for a new product it was marketing called PLASTIKOIL binding. This binding process involves a specially formulated, plastic coil extrusion that is spiraled through round holes at five per inch.

Although the Barkleys had no experience in printing and binding, their background in general contracting did provide them with the knowledge necessary to operate a business. More importantly, their drive and determination coupled with a keen understanding of exactly what customers were looking for—quick turnarounds, quality and responsive service at a reasonable cost—put them on track to eventually become the largest PLASTIKOIL binding dealership anywhere in the United States.

A business that began in the family’s barn, this proverbial mom-and-pop operation has since grown into an operation with annual sales of $2.5 million and approximately 40 employees, running a full range of finishing equipment at two locations: the Warrendale, PA, headquarters and Zelienople, PA. Incidentally, the company has achieved this success completely through word-of-mouth, without ever hiring a single dedicated salesperson.